Wyoming Unit 78 Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Guide
Wyoming Unit 78 is a solid option for hunters chasing pronghorn antelope hunting opportunities on Wyoming's open range, offering a combination of high public land access and consistent harvest success across recent seasons. Spanning 601,402 acres with elevations ranging from 3,628 to 6,528 feet, this unit sits squarely in the classic sagebrush-and-grassland habitat that Wyoming pronghorn depend on for forage and fawning cover.
With 80% of the unit in public ownership and zero designated wilderness, Unit 78 is accessible terrain for DIY hunters willing to walk. The lack of wilderness designation means no special guide requirements apply here for nonresidents — this is straightforward, self-guided pronghorn country where success comes down to scouting, glassing, and legwork rather than navigating restrictive land access rules.
HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 78 Worth Applying For?
Unit 78 checks several important boxes for hunters evaluating where to spend points or apply fresh. The public land percentage of 80% is a major asset — the vast majority of this unit's 601,402 acres is open to hunters without needing to negotiate private land access or pay trespass fees, a real advantage over many Wyoming pronghorn units where private ranchland dominates.
Harvest data compiled by HuntPilot shows this unit has produced strong, if somewhat variable, results over the past four seasons. In 2024, hunters posted a 94% success rate (170 of 181 hunters), and even in the lower years — 70% in 2022 and 72% in 2023 — success rates remained solidly above what many hunters would consider a productive antelope hunt. The 2025 season came in at 85% success with 157 pronghorn harvested from 184 hunters. That's a meaningful downward trend in hunter numbers from 2022's 337 hunters to 2025's 184, worth noting for hunters trying to gauge pressure levels, though the underlying success rate has stayed strong throughout.
Trophy potential here is moderate. The counties overlapping Unit 78 carry a moderate history of trophy-class pronghorn entries, meaning hunters have a realistic — if not exceptional — chance at encountering a quality buck, particularly if they're willing to pass on younger animals early in the hunt. This isn't a unit renowned for producing world-class bucks year after year, but it isn't devoid of trophy history either. Hunters prioritizing meat and a high-probability hunt over chasing a wall-hanger will find this unit well-suited to that goal.
The wildlife survey data does raise a flag worth discussing honestly. The average buck:doe ratio across four survey years (2021-2024) sits at 46:100. That ratio is within a biologically normal range for pronghorn herds and doesn't show signs of a stressed or declining buck population — it's a reasonable, sustainable ratio that supports continued hunting pressure without alarm.
Tag quotas add another layer to the picture. Type 1 tags have held steady at 100 tags across 2024, 2025, and 2026, showing management stability for this hunt category. Type 6 tags have similarly stayed flat at 100 tags in both 2024 and 2025. The standout shift is Type 7, which jumped from 50 tags in 2025 to 100 tags in 2026 — a 100% increase. That's a significant quota expansion and suggests wildlife managers see room to issue more tags in that category, likely reflecting a healthy herd base capable of supporting additional harvest.
Bottom line: Unit 78 is worth applying for if hunters want a high-probability, heavily-public-land pronghorn hunt with moderate trophy upside. It's not a unit to chase for record-book bucks specifically, but as a dependable, accessible hunt with strong recent success rates, it earns a place on the short list for both residents and nonresidents building a Wyoming pronghorn strategy.
Harvest Success Rates
Unit 78's harvest numbers over the past four seasons tell a story of consistent opportunity:
- 2025: 184 hunters, 157 harvested — 85% success
- 2024: 181 hunters, 170 harvested — 94% success
- 2023: 285 hunters, 204 harvested — 72% success
- 2022: 337 hunters, 237 harvested — 70% success
Every year in this window has produced a success rate at or above 70%, which is a strong showing for antelope hunting anywhere in the West. The drop in total hunter numbers — from 337 in 2022 down to 184 in 2025 — likely reflects reduced tag quotas or shifting application patterns, but it hasn't hurt success rates. If anything, fewer hunters afield in 2024 and 2025 coincided with the two highest success percentages in the data set. Hunters drawing a tag here in recent years have had a genuinely good chance of filling their tag, which matters for anyone planning a trip around limited vacation time or traveling a long distance to hunt.
Trophy Quality
Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 78 reflect a moderate history of trophy-class pronghorn. This isn't one of Wyoming's marquee trophy units, but it also isn't a blank slate. Hunters willing to be selective — passing on the first legal buck in favor of glassing more country and evaluating multiple animals — have a realistic shot at a quality buck in the moderate-to-good range for the region.
It's worth remembering that trophy records are logged at the county level and shared across neighboring units, so any historical entries associated with this area could have come from animals taken in adjacent units as well. Hunters chasing a specific trophy class should treat this as one data point among several, not a guarantee tied exclusively to Unit 78's boundaries. For hunters whose primary goal is a mature, respectable buck rather than a record-book entry, the moderate trophy history combined with the unit's strong success rates makes for a reasonable combination.
Herd Health & Population Trends
The wildlife survey data for Unit 78 shows an average buck:doe ratio of 46:100 across four survey years from 2021 through 2024. This ratio sits within a normal, sustainable range for pronghorn populations and doesn't indicate any red flags in buck availability relative to does. A ratio in this range typically supports continued hunting opportunity without signaling herd stress or an unbalanced sex ratio.
Combined with the recent quota trends — stable Type 1 and Type 6 tag numbers and a substantial increase in Type 7 tags heading into 2026 — the picture suggests wildlife managers view the herd as healthy enough to support current or expanded harvest levels. Hunters should still expect year-to-year fluctuations in both survey data and success rates, which is normal for antelope populations that respond quickly to drought, winter severity, and habitat conditions on Wyoming's open range.
Access & Terrain
Unit 78 offers 80% public land across its 601,402 acres, which is a significant advantage for hunters without private land connections or the budget for trespass fees. Elevations range from 3,628 to 6,528 feet, putting this unit in typical high-plains pronghorn habitat — open sagebrush flats, rolling grassland, and broken terrain that offers long sightlines for glassing but also demands genuine walking to reach animals that have spotted a vehicle or hunter from a half-mile away.
With 0% wilderness designation, there are no special access restrictions or guide requirements tied to wilderness status in this unit — nonresident hunters can hunt here without hiring an outfitter, a meaningful cost savings compared to Wyoming's wilderness-heavy units in other parts of the state.
Hunters planning a DIY trip should expect to cover ground on foot to get away from roads and pressure, particularly later in the season as antelope become more educated. The combination of high public access and open terrain makes Unit 78 a good candidate for hunters comfortable with spot-and-stalk tactics across big country. HuntPilot's mapping tools can help hunters identify specific public parcels, walk-in areas, and terrain features within the unit before ever setting foot in Wyoming.
How to Apply
Wyoming pronghorn tags are allocated through the state's annual draw system, and hunters need to pay close attention to both application windows and fee structures before applying.
Hunters can also track current draw odds and application windows for Unit 78 at HuntPilot's Wyoming state page.
Application dates and fees change every draw cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, see HuntPilot's Wyoming page at /states/wy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the terrain like in Wyoming Unit 78? Unit 78 sits at elevations between 3,628 and 6,528 feet, consisting of the open sagebrush flats and rolling grassland typical of Wyoming pronghorn country. With 80% of the unit in public ownership and no wilderness designation, hunters can expect accessible, road-adjacent terrain that still requires walking to close the distance on antelope in open country.
What is harvest success like in Unit 78? Success rates have been strong and consistent, ranging from 70% to 94% across the 2022-2025 seasons. The most recent year, 2025, saw 157 pronghorn harvested by 184 hunters for an 85% success rate, while 2024 posted the highest mark in the data set at 94%.
How big are the pronghorn in Unit 78? Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping this unit show a moderate history of trophy-class bucks. This isn't a unit defined by exceptional trophy production, but hunters willing to be selective have a fair chance at a solid, mature buck. Those focused purely on filling a tag with a representative Wyoming pronghorn will find the moderate trophy history paired with high success rates to be a favorable combination.
Is Unit 78 worth applying for? Based on the available data, yes — particularly for hunters prioritizing high success rates and strong public land access over chasing a specific trophy class. The unit's 80% public land, consistently high harvest success, a stable-to-increasing tag quota structure, and a normal buck:doe ratio all point to a well-managed, huntable unit. Hunters should check HuntPilot's unit page for current draw odds before deciding how to allocate points or applications.
Do nonresidents need a guide to hunt pronghorn in Unit 78? No. Unit 78 has 0% wilderness designation, so Wyoming's guide requirement for wilderness areas does not apply here. Nonresidents can hunt this unit DIY without hiring a licensed outfitter.